The Golden State Warriors are headed towards a pivotal offseason with questions surrounding the team’s core of star players as well as the future of legendary head coach Steve Kerr. Could the Warriors run things back again in their version of “The Last Dance,” ala the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s?
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley suggested a bold move that could boost the end of Steph Curry’s career with the Warriors. The analyst offered predictions on the top landing spots for several superstars and has the Warriors striking a surprising trade for Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard.
“Leonard feels almost a little too perfect for this team,” Buckley detailed in an April 30, 2026, story titled, “Landing Spots for NBA’s Top 10 Trade Targets.” “The 34-year-old (35 in June) is in the same fight with Father Time as Curry and carries as many availability concerns as anyone. At the same time, Leonard remains a brilliant basketball player who impacts both ends of the floor like few others in the league.
“Leonard might represent the highest end of Golden State’s trade budget, but he has enough question marks for us to think he can land within it. And he’d be an objectively awesome get for the Warriors, possessing the processing skills needed to fit this read-and-react system and the creation ability to break away from it when they just need a bucket.”
Here’s what you need to know about the latest Warriors rumors.
Warriors Trade Target Kawhi Leonard Has 1 Season Remaining on a $149 Million Contract With the Clippers
Leonard has one season remaining on a three-year, $149 million contract with the Clippers and is slated to have more than a $50 million cap hit in 2026-27, per Spotrac. The move would take some of the pressure off Curry, assuming Leonard can stay healthy.
Curry inked a one-year, $62 million contract extension that goes through the 2026-27 season. The Warriors star is slated to be a free agent in 2027.
Warriors Rumors: Golden State Pushed Clippers to Strike Blockbuster Trade for Kawhi Leonard
The Warriors pushed the Clippers to strike a blockbuster with Leonard as the headliner ahead of this season’s NBA trade deadline, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Anthony Slater. Los Angeles eventually passed on Golden States’ overtures but trade talks could be rekindled this summer.
“Ambition flickered inside Warriors headquarters as the trade deadline approached,” Shelburne and Slater wrote in an April 20, article titled, “The Warriors’ summer of uncertainty starts with Steve Kerr.” “They were waiting, league sources said, for word from the Los Angeles Clippers on a trade concept involving Leonard.
“… Some within the Warriors organization believe a Leonard trade was close. Others were skeptical. On the Clippers side, it was a steadfast no from Ballmer, who wields the ultimate hammer,” Slater and Shelburne added.
“Either way, sources said there’s an expectation the Warriors could reengage the Clippers on Leonard’s availability this offseason, compile another offer for Antetokounmpo and test the waters again on soon-to-be free agent LeBron James.”
It remains to be seen if the Warriors’ potential acquisition of Leonard or another superstar will boost the team’s chances of convincing Kerr to return for another season. Golden State heads into the NBA offseason with more questions than answers, but no shortage of rumors about potential solutions.
Warriors Predicted to Pair $149 Million Superstar With Steph Curry in Major Trade